Kiss Of Death
by X5 - 452
Summary: Someone new is in town and while she knows alot more than she is letting on, she has a horrible secret that wil torment both her and Alec. M/L A/(new character)
1. Surprise, Surprise

A.N. I seriously don't know if I can be bothered finishing this baby off. I can't seem to get motivated. Reviews anyone? Give up or get my behind into gear and finish it. I had a angst ending all planned too! I'm not exactly sure where this fits in but I guess it might be a little after Freak Nation.  
  
Chapter 1 - Surprise Surprise  
  
Alec sat at the bar at Crash drinking a whiskey while admiring the women around him wondering which one he should choose tonight for a little bit of fun. The red head beside him was looking very promising and he gave her a wink that she returned flirtingly. Oh yes, the red head would do nicely. In the corner of Crash, he saw Max and Logan playing pool against each other, their eyes rarely leaving each other's faces. Even from where he sat Alec could feel the tension and the undisguised wanting that they were both feeling. Lame very lame, Alec thought decidedly shaking his head. That virus was still making it hard for them to be together and Alec kinda felt sorry for them. He was glad that he and Max looked like normal people or they wouldn't have been able to go out tonight and just relax for once forgetting all about White and him trying to kill the both of them. Still things weren't good for transgenic in Seattle. Those who were obviously transgenic were confined to Terminal City and though some X5's and X6's had joined the ranks in Terminal City for a while most of them had decided to leave Seattle and head for somewhere less inconspicuous. Mainly Australia, the one free land where the transgenic population couldn't be targeted as Australia had offered them protection. Not for the first time Alec wondered why he hadn't gone with them but looking over at Max and Logan he understood, he was fighting for friendships and freedom. Never thought I'd become some sort of mercenary instead of a soldier, Alec thought to himself scratching his forehead. He turned his gaze to the toilets and spied a pretty young woman, who looked to be about eighteen years of age, walking towards the toilets. Forgetting the red head he followed the girl staring at her in awe. She had blonde hair that reached her waist and bright blue eyes that sparkled with mischief and halfway to the toilets she looked over at him and smiled cheekily winking. Alec leant against the nearest wall and crossed his arms across his chest smiling back at her charmingly. The woman then shrugged her slim shoulders and went into the toilets. Wow, Alec whistled to himself then he returned to the bar and the pretty red head who gestured for him to sit beside her and Alec obliged her willingly.  
  
"Max, he's over there," Logan whispered to Max gesturing to the thin Italian businessman standing at the bar. Even from where Max stood she could tell he was sleazy. The way that he looked at the women, his small cruel black eyes slowly undressing them, he practically drooled when he looked at a woman and Max couldn't help but shiver in disgust. Max primped her outfit and Logan gave her the thumbs up. She had on a tight red dress where the skirt barely reached her mid thigh and her luscious brown hair was curled to perfection. Logan couldn't help but admit she looked more like she did when they had first met and he found her very attractive, just like he had before. But then there was that virus.  
  
"So I go with him, get the disc, then I get my ass out of there?" Max asked for confirmation and Logan nodded looking over at the target again.  
  
"Yeah that's the plan, think you can handle it?" Logan teased her affectionately and Max gave him one of her haughty looks and stood with her hands on her hips.  
  
"Was I genetically created?" she asked him and Logan only smiled not wanting to dignify her taunt with an answer. Max turned around and strutted over to the Italian making sure to get eye contact with him and she rolled her shoulders at him suggestively. He spotted her coming from across the room and he smiled in anticipation as she came closer to him. He licked his lips when she stood near him and Max tried not to look repulsed as she gave him a flirtatious wink that he returned.  
  
"Hey there," Max said and the Italian looked her up and down openly before replying.  
  
"Hello baby, you're looking very fine tonight," he told her licking his lips again and Max fluttered her eyelashes pretending to be flattered.  
  
"You busy tonight honey?" Max asked sweetly and the Italian looked around him quickly as though remembering why he was at Crash in the first place.  
  
"Actually I'm waiting for someone," he said and Max placed a hand on his leg as she smiled and the Italian's attentions went back to her.  
  
"Yeah, and who's that?" Max asked innocently but before the Italian could reply they were interrupted by the blonde haired blue eyed girl that had taken Alec's attention moments before.  
  
"Me actually," the girl said giving a giggle as she leant over to nuzzle the Italian's neck and he looked somewhat guiltily at Max before he turned to his girl to explain what he was doing with another woman.  
  
"There you are baby, I was wondering where you were," he said and the girl laughed and rolled her eyes.  
  
"Sure you were," she said taking her coat from his lap and putting it on while the Italian looked from one girl to the other greedily.  
  
"Can I get you a drink?" Max asked the Italian who looked thrilled by the idea while his girl looked up quickly at Max, her blue eyes staring into Max's brown ones. Max sensed something strange about the girl but she couldn't quite place her finger on it. The girl raised her eyebrows questioningly at Max but Max merely smiled widely.  
  
"Sure darl, I'd love one," the Italian said and his girl tapped his shoulder and pouted as he turned to face her while her eyes kept flicking triumphantly to Max.  
  
"But Nicky we have to go and meet Franco," she blubbered looking like she was about to cry and Nicky took her hand and patted it pleadingly.  
  
"Aww.come on baby, just one drink," he begged while Max watched them and the girl shook her head.  
  
"No," the girl said in a strong voice glaring at Max again and Max glared back at her.  
  
"Sorry toots, the lady has spoken," Nicky said turning back to Max who put on a remorseful smile.  
  
"Maybe we could meet up again when you're not so busy," Max said running her fingers down Nicky's shirt buttons and his girl pulled Nicky away from Max and shoved him towards the door. She then walked back to Max and smiled secretly.  
  
"Nicky won't be available for a very long time," she said darkly then she winked at Max before turning around to join Nicky who was waiting for her by the door as she said, "Let's go."  
  
"What happened?" Logan asked walking over but Max was still staring at the back of the blonde as she exited the building. Logan followed her gave then looked at Max questioningly.  
  
"I was outdone by her," Max said nodding her head in the direction the blonde went and Logan had an amused smile on his face as the blonde turned and waved goodbye to Max fluttering her fingers smugly.  
  
"You couldn't pick up that guy?" Logan asked with incredulity and Max raised an eyebrow at him in exasperation. She couldn't believe Logan actually looked like he found that information funny.  
  
"Don't sound so amused by it," Max scolded him and Logan started laughing.  
  
"I'm not, it's the fact that a gorgeous girl like that actually wanted him, seems a little suspicious to me," Logan said absently after a few moments and Max narrowed her eyes at Logan.  
  
"Well we better follow them," she said walking towards the door and Logan followed her.  
  
"Right," he agreed and Max stopped in the doorway turning back to face Logan again causing Logan to nearly bump into her.  
  
"And when you say gorgeous you mean?" Max asked innocently smiling as though the question were a joke but her eyes showed her jealousy and Logan looked a little uncomfortable as he shrugged.  
  
"Ugly compared to you," he amended and Max smiled a full smile at him.  
  
"I thought so," she murmured and Logan grinned at her.  
  
"You need me tonight guys?" Alec asked popping up from nowhere and Max looked at him scathingly then thought about the girl. There was something really strange about her, maybe they would need Alec's help.  
  
"Actually yeah I think we might, can you spare us an hour of your precious time?" Max asked sarcastically and Alec rolled his eyes, used to her dry sense of humour.  
  
"Wow, I feel so wanted, but I think I can fit you into my busy schedule," he said looking back at the red head who pouted over at him and he turned away from her dismissively.  
  
"Don't let it go to your head," Max said snidely and Alec couldn't help but smile.  
  
"With you around Maxie? Couldn't possibly," he said shaking his head as he started to pat Max on the head only to be given an elbow in the ribs for his trouble. 


	2. Stake Out

Chapter 2 - Stake Out  
  
Logan drove the jeep in silence while Max sat beside him in the front seat. Alec sat in the back seat like the child he was staring out of the window in wonder at all the nice looking houses around him. They were all situated on the hill and a small forest separated the houses from the main road. Logan drove off the main road into the forest and parked the car. He and Max got out of the car and stood staring at the house where they knew Nicky lived and Logan whistled. It was the biggest house on the street and the balcony overlooked the forest. Alec joined them out of the car and followed their gazes.  
  
"Wow he has a nice place," Alec commented absently and Max turned away and glared at him.  
  
"For a sleazy criminal, yeah its nice," Max said testily and Alec shut his mouth hearing the familiar tone of annoyance in her voice. Max turned and stormed off towards the house and Alec moved as if to follow her but didn't when he saw Logan shaking his head. Logan knew that in moods like these Max needed to be by herself to work things through in her head. Max's mood hadn't gotten any better as she trudged through the forest towards Nicky's house. Something about that girl bothered her but she didn't know what it was. There was something strange about what she said. The fact she couldn't figure it out was annoying her a lot.  
  
As she reached underneath the balcony she heard a sliding door open and saw Nicky and the girl he was with wander out onto the balcony. Max used her enhanced vision to see what was going on. The girl was pouring two glasses of wine while Nicky had his arms wrapped around her and was mauling her neck. The girl didn't seem at all perturbed by it even though it repulsed Max. The girl turned around and handed Nicky a drink and they clinked glasses and downed the glistening liquid. Nicky put down his glass then pulled the girl roughly into his arms.  
  
"So baby, how bout a little kiss?" Nicky asked practically drooling and the girl looked shyly up at him.  
  
"Mmm.are you sure you're ready?" she murmured seductively and Max could have sworn she saw a strange pink cloud come out of the girl's mouth and flow into Nicky's.  
  
"Oh yeah, lay one on me baby," Nicky said suddenly very eager to kiss her and the girl obliged him. After a few moments she pushed him away and stood viewing him, hands on her hips. Nicky took a step towards her then his face changed from grinning to one of confusion then pain. His hands reached up to his neck and he looked like he was choking. His eyes widened and he began making strange noises and staggering around. The girl watched him, totally in controlled of herself, and reaching for her, still choking, Nicky sank to the ground and after one spasm fell to the ground not moving. Was he dead? Max wondered and the girl sauntered over to Nicky's body. The girl reached into a black suitcase and produced the disc that Max had been looking for. The girl hid the disc down her cleavage then turned to Nicky's body and glared down at it wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.  
  
"How do you like that, baby?" the girl asked his dead body giving it a swift kick before turning and jumping off the balcony.  
  
"Hey," Max call out to her and the girl stopped and turned.  
  
When she saw Max her face broke into a huge smile and without a word the girl did a sweep kick and kicked Max's legs out from under her. Max fell flat on her back and the girl cart wheeled over her and pulled Max to her feet. Reacting quickly Max twisted under and grabbed the girls hand holding her while Max performed a series of kicks and all were blocked by the girl except the one that hit her straight in the face and Max let her stagger backwards. Max had the strangest feeling that the girl was playing with her, testing her abilities. The girl touched her own face bemused still smiling before jumping up into the trees standing on a branch and she gestured for Max to follow her. Max did so without hesitation and the two faced off standing on the branch. The girl moved first with a few punches in a style that was totally new to Max and Max only just managed to block them. The power behind the punches was surprisingly strong and Max found herself loosing her balance and she very nearly fell but the girl grabbed her hand saving her from hitting the ground. The girl let Max down gently then jumped down herself and held up her hands indication she no longer wished to fight.  
  
"I give up, you are so my superior," the girl said giggling and Max looked over at the balcony at Nicky's dead body then back at the girl who looked at her innocently.  
  
"What did you do to him?" Max asked and the girl shrugged.  
  
"What you were trying to do, only without much suspicion and very little effort," the girl informed her simple and Max nodded with understanding.  
  
"You're Manticore," Max concluded and the girl posed, hands on her hips and head held proud, still smiling that amused grin which irritated Max because Max felt the girl knew something she didn't and Max hated not knowing everything.  
  
"Of course," she said as though it were common knowledge and Max frowned.  
  
"Why did you want to get rid of him?" Max asked. She knew Nicky was a bad guy but how did this girl know about it? And what did the girl want with that disc?  
  
"Same reason you did, he had information about Manticore that he was going to sell to White and above all this he was a bad, bad man," the girl replied to Max mockingly pouting as she shook her finger at Max before listing all of the things Max knew Nicky was involved in, "drug trafficking, murder, underage call girls, selling stolen items on the black market; he did everything illegal that you could do."  
  
"How did you know all that?" Max asked and the girl shrugged obviously loosing interest n the conversation as they heard voices inside the house.  
  
"I have my ways, hadn't we better get out of here? Franco will suspect foul play, although he won't be able to link it to me, I'm just the stupid blonde call girl from a company that doesn't even exist," the girl said fluttering her eyelashes and Max narrowed her eyes at the girl.  
  
"Fine but you're coming with us," Max said and the girl again fluttered her eyes sarcastically.  
  
"I wouldn't have it any other way," she said sweetly and Max turned and began running and she could hear the girl running behind her. In no time they were back at the car and the moment the girl saw Logan and Alec waiting for them she smirked placing her hands on her hips.  
  
"Cute, very cute, you brought back up," the girl mocked Max teasingly and Max just looked at her not knowing what to say.  
  
"You thought I would be too much to handle?" the girl asked and Max didn't bother answering as the girl held a hand to her heart and said, "I'm flattered really."  
  
"Who's this?" Alec asked as the girl came into view but Max gestured for him to shut up as she got into the car not in the mood for Alec and his incessant questioning.  
  
"Let's save the introductions till we are back in Terminal City," Max said stiffly and hearing the annoyed tone in her voice Logan got in the car throwing her a questioning look she chose to ignore.  
  
"You're the boss," the girl said cheerfully getting in the car and Alec followed her raising his eyes to the sky thanking god for this bountiful gift of womanhood he was sitting beside. 


	3. Raven

Chapter 3 - Raven  
  
As soon as they were safely in Terminal City Max rounded on the girl again. She stood there unconcerned by the looks the other transgenics were giving her never having seen her before. The girl wandered over to a overturned bin and sat down daintily taking her time not really in any hurry and Alec stood regarding her from the car. She was so beautiful - and sassy, that was the part Alec liked best. Kinda like Max only.classier.  
  
"Okay, what Manticore are you?" Max demanded and the girl made a mock bow that Max found irritating. It was like she was intentionally trying to annoy her  
  
"X10-242 at your service, but my sisters call me Raven," the girl introduced herself and Max frowned at her reply obviously bothered by something Raven had said.  
  
"X10?" Max repeated and Raven looked over to Alec who seemed to be nodding in understanding.  
  
"They were after your time Maxie, X10's were the perfect assassins, equipped to go undercover and to kill a person with very little effort or suspicion, I never actually met one but you guys were the talk of the block, back at good old Manticore," Alec said and Raven smiled at him winningly in a way Alec found hard to resist. Never had he felt himself to overwhelmed by a woman, especially one who looked as young as she. Usually he felt so in control, but under her gaze he felt helpless and it both excited and unnerved him at the same time.  
  
"The boy has it in one, smart very smart, you must be an X6 series, and you," Raven turned to address Max shaking her head, "by your fighting style which, by the way, is sorely outdated you have to be an X5, one of the naughty ones who escaped tut tut."  
  
"Well you know all about us, tell us about you," Max said quickly unnerved at how much this girl knew and Raven cocked her head to one side.  
  
"What do you want to know?" she asked and Max wondered again if she was deliberately trying to be annoying. She's doing a good job, Max thought snidely practically scowling at Raven.  
  
"You want to help the transgenics in this war against the Familiars?" Max spelled the proposition out slowly and Raven stopped to seriously consider what Max had said.  
  
"I look out for my sisters, nothing more, nothing less, I couldn't care less about the Familiars unless they try and hurt my sisters," Raven said after a long silence of deliberation and Max held up her hands in confusion.  
  
"Your sisters?" Max repeated and Raven smiled affectionately.  
  
"Only a small number of X10's were made, just the five of us," Raven explained and Max considered how helpful it would be to have the perfect assassins on their side. White and his idiot cult cronies would be gone before they knew what was going on.  
  
"Well will you and your sisters join us? We could use some trained assassins," Max said and Raven shrugged her shoulders getting up.  
  
"I guess they wouldn't mind," she said then smiled a full smile totally disarming Max for a moment before she said quickly, "I'll meet you back here."  
  
"I'll drive you," Alec offered and Raven viewed him through narrowed lids and winked slyly.  
  
"No thanks, I'll get there faster on my own," she said turning and then she seemed to disappear into the darkness. Max and Logan stared after her while Alec went inside to help Joshua get the rooms ready for their new arrivals. Logan ever so slowly reached out and clasped Max's hand and Max felt all her worries melt away at his touch, even if it was through thick black gloves.  
  
"Think she'll be back?" Logan asked wearily and Max turned to smirk up at him.  
  
"Not a chance."  
Max had been waiting by the entrance to Terminal City. She knew in her head that Raven wasn't coming back but she couldn't help that small thread of hope in her heart that Raven was coming. Her prayers were answered when five young women appeared before her carrying a suitcase each. There was a small petite girl with ringlets of honey blonde curls and innocent blue eyes and she was watched over by the tallest of the five who had a stubborn jaw line, expressive green eyes and auburn hair that was pulled off her face into a ponytail. Then there were two girls who appeared to be twins, both sharing the flaming red hair and piercing blue eyes that sparkled with mischief as they exchanged glances with each other. The last was a woman Max knew she had seen before but instead of the long blonde hair, the girl now had long black hair just a little shorter than Max's own hair and in the place of her blue eyes were these wide violet coloured eyes that only Manticore could have created.  
  
"Raven?" Max asked the violet eyed girl cautiously and she laughed at Max's precautions.  
  
"You seem surprised to see me, let me guess you thought I wouldn't come back," Raven said ignoring that fact that her appearance had totally changed and Max shook her head in disbelief.  
  
"Well." Max said for once in her life not knowing what to say and Raven gave Max a patronising look.  
  
"I always do what I say," Raven assured Max certainly and Max smirked.  
  
"I know that now," Max said sarcastically and the other girls let out a laugh interested to see what the relationship would be between these two girls who were both obviously used to giving the orders.  
  
"Let me introduce you to my sisters, this is Hawk," Raven said pointing to one of the twins who winked.  
  
"Hi," she said lifting her hand in a friendly wave and Max nodded at her.  
  
"And Talon," Raven pointed out the other twin who made her fingers into the shape of a gun and pretended to fire it at Max.  
  
"Nice to meet you," Talon said sincerely and Max nodded at her smiling now.  
  
"This is Falcon," Raven introduced the tallest of the group and Falcon looked over Max and merely grunted making her displeasure obvious to all. Raven rolled her eyes and indicated that Max should ignore the sulking X10.  
  
"And this is Dove," Raven said placing an arm around the smallest girl who smiled at Max innocently looking around and at that moment Joshua wandered into the area but stopped short on seeing Dove.  
  
"Is this where we are staying Raven?" Dove asked her eyes locked on Joshua who shyly hung back in the shadows and Raven patted her on the back.  
  
"Yup this is it, home sweet home, at least for the moment," Raven said and Max gestured for Joshua to come forward.  
  
"This is Joshua, he'll get you settled in," Max said and Joshua snapped to attention and took Dove's bag from her while she stared at him in adoration.  
  
"Thanks," Dove said following Joshua closely while the other three girls followed rolling their eyes knowing Dove had a special place in her heart for all transgenics of the dog breed.  
  
"Tell me about them, about their specialties," Max said to Raven as soon as they were out of earshot and Raven smiled knowingly.  
  
"Well Hawk is a master of the arts, the best fighter we have, one blow from her can kill a man, she knows exactly where the points are that could kill a man instantly and she can hit them without anyone noticing. Talon is a master of weaponry, you give her any gun she will know how to use it, she's especially good at sniper shooting. Falcon's a sword's master, she has knives everywhere, a very dangerous girl, her temper is dangerous as well."  
  
"What about Dove?" Max questioned knowing that Raven had left her out of the explanation and Raven smiled fondly.  
  
"She is Hawk, Talon and Falcon all mixed together, she's the perfect assassin," Raven said and when Max gave her a sceptical look Raven rolled her eyes, "I know she doesn't look it, but its all part of the ploy, the image, who would guess that an innocent looking naïve teenage girl could kill a man? No one would ever suspect her, they wouldn't suspect any of us."  
  
"My God Manticore was smart," Max agreed in wonder thinking back and Raven nodded.  
  
"Yeah, but they overlooked you setting us free," she said happily patting Max on the back and Max looked a little worried at how infamous she was getting.  
  
"You know about that?" Max asked and Raven giggled at Max's naivety.  
  
"We know everything, we're assassins, we know how to sneak, by the way, your boyfriend over there probably needs this," Raven said pulling the disc from her pocket and handing it to Max with a wink.  
  
"He's not my." Max began to deny when Raven held up her hand to stop her.  
  
"We know everything, night Max," Raven said turning and walking away.  
  
"Wait Raven, what's your specialty," Max called after her and Raven didn't even stop.  
  
"Ah, that's a surprise," she threw over her shoulder laughing and Max stood there confused before joining Logan behind the computer giving him the long awaited disc. 


	4. Wake Up Call

A.N. I had already written this chapter when my computer turned off and I lost the whole thing. I was indecently annoyed so I'm sorry if it took me so long to post this chapter but.you know how it is after you poured all your heart and soul into a chapter then it just disappears before your eyes. It sucked. Anyway, here it is, I was trying to remember all of what I had in the first one so I hope you like it. Oh and if anyone has the time, please read and review my other two fics which are finished. Apathy and New World, they are pretty good, except for the hard to read format that I will be fixing up A.S.A.P.  
  
Chapter 4 - Wake Up Call  
  
Alec strode purposefully through the dormitory section of Terminal City and came to a halt at one of the doors. He rapped briskly on the door then leant against the doorjamb waiting for someone to open it. The door opened after a few sounds of scuffling to reveal Raven who rubbed her eyes tiredly and gaped at Alec as though he were a raving lunatic. Ever since her and her sisters had arrived a week ago they had been assigned on assassination missions, their main mission was getting rid of annoying cult cronies in positions of power without bringing attention to themselves and, while the fact Raven had been fighting for a good cause pleased her, all Raven wanted to do right now was curl up in her bed and snore the night away.  
  
"Alec, its 3am in the morning, can't whatever it is you are going to annoy me with wait until later?" she asked annoyed as she moved further out of the door pulling the door behind her back, not quite shut, as she didn't want to wake her four sisters who were sleeping in the room. Actually there were only three sisters in the room, Dove had disappeared for the night and Raven had a sneaking suspicion Dog-man Joshua had something to do with her sister's disappearing act, which didn't really bother Raven, as long as Falcon didn't find out those two could get married and have half babies for all she cared. Falcon was always protecting the five of them especially against guys and on top of all that, she was allergic to dogs, something that came from her birth mother. Alec didn't seem at all apologetic for waking her up; in fact, her even had the audacity to grin at her.  
  
"Max needs us to do a mission for her, Logan found these two microchips that he needs, they were foraged from Manticore so Max and Logan think they could have something to do with the virus, anyway, they found out a few minutes ago that one is being transferred to England tonight so we have to go wait at the warehouse and steal it before it gets shipped out of the country or Max said and I quote "You better get it or I swear I will kick your ass to London to go get it," end quote, so I'm thinking we better get it while Max is going off to get the other one," Alec informed her and Raven nodded knowing she would help Max but then a thought passed through her mind. This didn't exactly seem like a two man job.  
  
"Why me?" Raven asked suspiciously and Alec grinned sheepishly.  
  
"Well actually it was only meant to be me but I wanted company," Alec said putting on a mournful face and turning to Raven who rolled her eyes placing her palm flat across his face and pushing him away.  
  
"And again I ask why me? Of all the girls you could have picked, why me?" Raven wanted to know and Alec grinned cheekily knowing exactly how to push Raven's wrong buttons.  
  
"Because your fun," he said simply and Raven's outrage hit the roof.  
  
"You woke me up because you wanted company? I'm gonna kill you," Raven's voice got louder and she raised a hand to smack him one in the head for being an inconsiderate jerk when someone kicked the door shut from inside the room and the force of the door on her back flung Raven into Alec throwing him off balance and they both toppled to the floor, Raven landing on top of Alec who smacked his head on the ground.  
  
"Take it outside losers," came Falcon's grumpy voice from inside the room and Raven looked down at Alec in horror as he blinked rapidly staring about him dazedly wondering why Raven was on top of him.  
  
"I'm sorry Alec, I seriously didn't meant to knock you over," Raven apologised her voice full of remorse as she leant forward checking to see if he was bleeding and as much as Alec enjoyed her sitting on him he couldn't actually breathe very easily with her weight all over his ribcage.  
  
"That would sound a lot more believable if you made an attempt to get off me," Alec made a joke of it and, embarrassed, Raven jumped off of him and didn't even offer to help him up and Alec sat up and smiled charmingly at her as he added, "You just couldn't wait to touch me could you?"  
  
"Don't flatter yourself pretty boy," Raven fumed, furious that Alec had managed to fluster her. No man made her feel uncomfortable. Raven was always the girl in control, and she hated the fact that Alec kept trying to take the control away from her. It was unnerving and exciting all at the same time to have someone question her authority. With her sisters they had already picked her as leader and none questioned what she said but Alec just pushed all her wrong buttons, and the scary thing was Raven enjoyed it.  
  
"So you in?" Alec asked getting to his feet and Raven sighed deeply knowing he wouldn't leave her alone unless she did go with him. Last time she tried to refuse going on a mission with him he had sat at her door and kept asking her to go along with him in a monotone voice that annoyed her sisters so much that they practically threw her out of the room just to get him to shut up.  
  
"Well now I'm awake I guess I can go along," Raven sighed resignedly and when Alec smiled she glowered at him walking back in her room adding, "I'll meet you at the front gate, but you owe me Alec, big time."  
  
Alec smirked to himself as she shut the door behind her. The score was one Alec for getting his own way and zero Raven because she couldn't resist him. Alec turned to go tell Max he would be ready to go, a self satisfied grin on his face as he walked off to get the equipment they would be needing.  
In a warehouse near the harbour, Alec and Raven sat up in the rafters in silence. They had been there for two hours now and both were getting really bored. Raven pulled out a switchblade and proceeded to carve her name into the rafters and Alec's gaze wondered to the tattoo that said 'freedom' on her left forearm. She told him once before she and her sisters each got it when they began their new lives far away from Seattle, and Alec recalled she never actually told him of her life after Manticore.  
  
"What did you do when you left Manticore?" Alec asked breaking the silence and Raven paused her carving to shrug.  
  
"I had my sisters with me, we went to Australia after getting fake passports and lived there for a year or so, but after our visa's expired we had to come back to Seattle, when we found out what was going on with the Familiars we figured we needed to take some of them out," Raven grinned as she said this winking and Alec who smiled and Raven returned his question, "What did you do?"  
  
"My life after Manticore had no purpose until Max helped me out, got me a job and enlisted my assistance in this little war of ours, I don't know what I'd do without her," Alec said humility, respect and admiration for her in his voice. She was the one who was brave enough to give all the transgenics what they had been longing for since birth, freedom.  
  
"You love her," Raven stated more than asked wondering why she felt a little disappointed as the realisation struck her and Alec looked disgusted and horrified by the thought.  
  
"No! No way, Max is my sister, yes she is hot, but she is my sister, I love her as my family," Alec hurried to put things right uncomfortable with the idea of anyone thinking he and Max.Yes Alec knew she was hot but Max was family.  
  
"You know what?" Raven said staring off into a distance and Alec looked at her alarmed never having seen her so serious, her face showing no emotion.  
  
"What?" Alec asked softly not wanting to disturb or annoy her when she seemed to at peace.  
  
"Sometimes I wish I was back at Manticore, life wasn't so hard in there," Raven said wistfully and Alec broke into a smile thinking she was joking but the look on her face told him she wasn't and he looked away from her.  
  
"If you can call being in Manticore living," he said bitterly remembering all he had been put through, the training, the punishments, his back still ached at the thought of the whip he had received for being a smart ass to one of the guards. No, he didn't want to ever go back there.  
  
"And what we are experiencing now you call living? This is living, being holed up in some radioactive waste dump?" Raven asked mockingly referring to Terminal City and Alec nodded indicating he understood what she was saying.  
  
"Its freedom Raven, the only thing not free in this world is freedom," Alec said softly and Raven fell into deep thought as did Alec as he remembered all that Manticore had forced him to do. Immediately his thoughts went to Rachel, that poor innocent girl who had been caught up in something bigger than the both of them. If only things had been different.  
  
"I hated every moment with Manticore, what they made me do," Alec said firmly breaking the silence again and at the pure hate she heard in Alec's voice she turned to him raising her eyebrows questioningly already knowing what he was going to say. But she knew if she could make him say it, he would feel better.  
  
"What did they make you do?" she asked softly not wanting to scare him into hiding it and Alec let out a sigh not wanting to really think about Manticore and Rachel and the fact she was dead because of him. But he needed to get it off his chest.  
  
"I was assigned to kill a sponsor who had gotten too nosy and had to infiltrate his family as the piano teacher to his daughter, her name was Rachel, she was a really beautiful girl, so innocent, not like any of the other girls around nowadays," Alec described Rachel so softly that Raven felt herself caught up and swept away by his voice, it was so soft and melodic.  
  
"Let me guess, you fell in love with her," Raven said somewhat sarcastically and Alec looked over at her seriously considering the question.  
  
"I guess it was love but I'm not really sure what it was; I couldn't bring myself to finish my job and kill her father because I didn't want to hurt her, I cared too much about her but in the end it was Rachel and not her father who ended up dying," Alec said his voice choked with emotion and Raven gave a harsh laugh hating Manticore for what they had done.  
  
"The sad sob story of every Manticore product," Raven told him bitterly and Alec looked over at her not expecting her to say that of all things after he had told her his story.  
  
"What do you mean?" Alec asked and Raven looked at him  
  
"Every time any agent from Manticore was sent out they ended up falling in love with someone on the outside, why do you think Manticore started those breeding programs all of a sudden? They were trying to encourage us to find our own kind more attractive, unfortunately it kind of backfired, most of the transgenic resented being forced to copulate with someone they barely knew," Raven told him and understanding dawned on Alec. He had always wondered why they started the breeding partners, and now he knew and it made him hate Manticore even more.  
  
"Did you ever have to kill someone?" Alec asked wanting Raven to shed more light on her mysterious past and Raven looked off into the distance again lost in her own thoughts.  
  
"Yes I was assigned to kill someone but I didn't know it, they assigned me a job where my mission was to fall in love with my target, I did and he died, pretty simple when you think about it," Raven said quickly not wanting to dwell on it while Alec stared at her incredulously.  
  
"That was it? You were assigned to fall in love?" he asked in disbelief and Raven smiled wryly.  
  
"Yup, falling in love with me is the most dangerous thing in the world, that's why I can never allow myself to fall in love with anyone, because sooner or later, they are gonna die," she said somewhat proudly and Alec felt like it was something of a warning to him as well although Raven was still smiling.  
  
"How can you be sure?" Alec asked testing her and Raven rolled her eyes at his persistence.  
  
"Trust me I know," she assured him and Alec stared at her. A challenge. He hadn't had one of those in a while. There was something about Raven that made Alec want her so badly, maybe it was because she kept blowing him off at every turn, or didn't respond to him the way the other females did, but he wanted her.  
  
"Come out with me," Alec begged out of the blue and Raven stared at him like he was nuts before she reached over and knocked on his head.  
  
"Didn't I just tell you I would never fall in love?" Raven reminded him and Alec shrugged not caring about that. He didn't need her love, all he needed was her.  
  
"I'm not asking you to fall in love with me I'm asking you to come out with me tomorrow night," Alec now smiled winningly and Raven found it hard to harden herself against it. She felt all her objections melt away and she pursed her lips.  
  
"All right then, but you have to promise not to fall in love with me," she gave in and Alec grinned like a schoolboy.  
  
"Don't worry that won't be a problem," he assured her and he and Raven smiled widely at each other in complete understanding.  
  
The doors to the warehouse flew open and two security guards came in with a small metal container that housed the chip.  
  
"Let's get this bitch so I can go home and sleep," Raven whispered and Alec grinned at her as they went to work. 


	5. Just One Chance

Chapter 5 - Just One Chance  
  
The next night Alec had perfectly planned everything. Joshua had offered to make the food and not wanting to hurt his feelings Alec allowed him to make the dinner knowing with sinking certainty it would end up being Mac and cheese. Alec prepared a table in an abandoned part of Terminal City and after checking everything was set he raced off to go get Raven.  
  
Meanwhile in her room Raven was standing in front of a cracked mirror checking her reflection intently. She was wearing a borrowed dress from Dove; it was flowing and white reaching her calves. Raven felt a little uncomfortable, she absolutely hated wearing anything feminine, it made her feel vulnerable and that was exactly what she didn't want to feel on tonight of all nights. Dove, Hawk and Talon were standing around her primping her outfit every few seconds showering her with compliments.  
  
"You look fine," Hawk assured her seeing Raven frown at her reflection.  
  
"Gorgeous, truly," Talon continued nodding to reaffirm her sisters statement and Falcon snorted from where she was lying on a bed, her nose buried in a book.  
  
"Narcissism was based on the Roman God Narcisst, who loved himself way too much," Falcon commented laughing at Raven's expense and Raven picked up the closest pillow and chucked it at Falcon hitting her right on the head. Falcon flung her book down standing up and just as she was about to advance threateningly on Raven someone knocked on the door and thanking God for giving her an escape Raven rushed to the door and as quick as she could shut the door behind her.  
  
"You're eager," Alec commented slyly and Raven merely smiled as she heard Falcon cursing her from inside their room and she chuckled to herself.  
  
"You have no idea," she said and Alec held out a crooked arm to Raven which she took staring up at him wondering why his eyes were shining s brightly when there was barely any light in the hallway. Alec himself was having similar thoughts wondering how on Earth his date had managed to look like a complete angel. Just the sight of her in the dress threw him for a second.  
  
The two ate dinner with Joshua hovering close by to refill drinks and food, for there was an endless supply of Mac and cheese, as it happened Logan knew the manufacturers of the Mac and cheese company and pulled a few strings for the transgenic cause. Over the dinner Alec was perfectly hospitable, the perfect gentleman, because he had been taught to be by Manticore, he knew exactly how to treat a lady, what to say and how to act. Raven herself, as another perfect creation from Manticore responded to all his questions as any normal young woman would. In a way it was like both of them were playing a pretend game, where they imagined that they were a normal couple at a fine restaurant eating the finest meal, instead of the dingy room they were in eating Mac and cheese with an anomaly as a waiter. When the dinner finished Alec turned to Joshua and pointed to the door indicating Joshua's services were no longer needed and he looked eagerly from Raven to Alec.  
  
"Alec and Raven get busy, like Max and Logan after virus bitch going down?" Joshua asked and Raven looked questioningly at Alec who laughed to cover his embarrassment.  
  
"Oh Joshua, who taught you that.crude term, was it Mole because Mole." as Alec continued rambling he turned to Joshua who was standing in the doorway looking justly confused by Alec's words and just when Alec thought Joshua understood Joshua grinned.  
  
"You taught me Alec, remember?" Joshua asked and Alec dropped his head into his hands as Raven tried to hide her giggles behind her serviette but didn't do that successfully.  
  
"Goodnight Joshua," Alec said forcefully and Joshua waved goodbye and left the room while Alec turned to Raven apologetically.  
  
"Nice try," she complimented him and Alec shrugged getting up and pressing play on an old tape recorder and a slow song started to play. Alec stood up and held out a hand obviously asking her to dance but Raven was taken aback. She raised an eyebrow at him sceptically and he looked at her innocently.  
  
"Have you been raiding Logan's music collection?" Raven asked him and Alec looked sheepish as she accepted his hand and he pulled her to a spare spot in the room.  
  
"Yeah, how'd you guess?" Alec asked pulling her close to him and Raven tilted her head to look up at him.  
  
"Well your not interested in my brains," she said pouting and Alec chuckled slowly looking down at her his eyes twinkling with mischief.  
  
"I'm interested in all of you," he assured her and Raven blushed looking away from him wanting to lighten the serious mood. How had it become so serious between them? One moment they were talking and laughing over dinner and the next they were dancing romantically together, locked in each other's arms. Raven tried to bring herself back to reality and decided to make light of the situation.  
  
"I notice your taking a few leaves out of Logan's book, the dinner, the wine and the music, Alec, are you trying to seduce me?" Raven asked cutely in a joking voice and Alec bent his head to whisper in her ear.  
  
"Maybe, would you want me to?" he said softly and Raven nearly automatically said yes but she stopped herself and froze. This was wrong. She couldn't be feeling like this about Alec. She pulled away from him not looking at him.  
  
"I.I have to go," Raven said walking towards the door and Alec was struck dumb for a few moments but he recovered just in time to grab hold f Raven's arm to stop her from leaving.  
  
"Raven, where are you going? We were having a good time, you don't have to leave," Alec asked not wanting her to go and Raven looked him straight in the eyes.  
  
"I don't trust myself when I am with you Alec, you make me want to trust in everything you say," Raven said and Alec looked confused. Why was that such a bad thing?  
  
"Then why don't you," Alec asked in exasperation and Raven shook her head.  
  
"It's complicated," she said dismissively and Alec pulled Raven closer towards him forcefully and Raven didn't resist even though she knew that she should.  
  
"I want to be with you," Alec whispered to her surprising even himself and Raven looked up at him with surprise.  
  
"You do? But we only just met; this is stupid," Raven said trying to convince herself and Alec shook his head adamantly.  
  
"Stupid is not giving us a chance Raven," Alec turned his pleading eyes on her and Raven couldn't look away and Alec asked her seriously, "Be with me, be my first girlfriend."  
  
"I told you I couldn't love you Alec, I can't love anyone," Raven tried desperately for a way out of the situation, where she wouldn't have to confess she felt the same way about him that he did about her.  
  
"And I told you before, I'm not asking you to love me, just give us a chance," Alec told her and Raven considered his clear green eyes thoughtfully then she smiled.  
  
"All right, I'll try," she said and Alec grinned with relief. For a second there he thought he had lost his chance with the one girl other than Rachel who had started a fire burning deep inside him. Overjoyed her moved in to kiss her and Raven pulled away abruptly looking at her watch.  
  
"I have to go, its late," she said and throwing him a loving smile Raven blew him an air kiss and left a confused Alec behind her.  
In a foul mood Alec stormed through Terminal City and in the control room he came upon Max who was checking the surveillance for any signs of disruption.  
  
"Can I ask you a serious question Max?" Alec asked and looking a little apprehensive Max turned to give him her full attention.  
  
"Sure, what's up?" Max asked and Alec bit his lower lip before replying.  
  
"Am I kissable?" he asked and Max rolled her eyes.  
  
"Alec," she said exasperatedly turning back to the computers and Alec turned her around to face him.  
  
"No I'm serious, am I kissable?" Alec asked his question again and seeing he was serious Max considered his question looking him over affectionately.  
  
"Well yeah I guess, in a dangerously sexy kind of way, why do you ask?" Max wanted to know sensing there was more to this question and Alec shrugged.  
  
"No reason," he said trying not to let anything slip but Max already knew and she grinned.  
  
"Not getting any love from the Ice Queen?" she asked teasingly and Alec turned furious eyes to her.  
  
"Don't call her that!" his voice raised at her and Max took a step back never having seen Alec so passionate about anything.  
  
"My God, you care about her, a lot," Max, said slowly and Alec looked away, disturbed by her words. He was Alec, Monty Cora, Golden Boy, 494; he did not care about anyone.  
  
"I do not," he denied and Max laughed at him. It was obvious. She knew the signs having been through it all herself.  
  
"Yes you do, you're practically in love," Max taunted him more and Alec felt her getting too close to the truth and his immediate reaction was to deny.  
  
"No way," he assured her and Max just smiled knowingly in a way that annoyed Alec. It was like her smile was saying she knew more than he did.  
  
"Deny it all you want, I know the truth," Max called to him as he was leaving and Alec turned to give her a finger that she happily returned.  
  
"Night Alec, sweet dreams," Max called out seductively him and Alec continued walking not wanting to talk anymore. 


	6. Giving In

Chapter 6 - Giving In

The next day Alec was pacing outside in the garden beside Raven's room trying to think of what he was going to say to her. He wanted to ask her so many things, but mainly he just wanted to kiss her, just once, maybe once he did those weird feelings he had inside him would go away and stop keeping him up at night. Alec passed an old abandoned tool shed and he heard someone giggling and then a gruff voice followed by the sounds of movement.

"Joshua," a high-pitched voice squealed and Joshua grunted in response and Alec stepped away from the shed. Whoa, even Joshua was getting some; Alec thought to himself with a smile, perhaps it was his lucky day. He wandered away from the shed and closer to Raven's window thinking he could climb in and surprise her or even just pop his head in and say hello. He had read somewhere in a pre-pulse book that some guy called Romeo did something like that once for this girl he liked called Juliet, and to Alec the idea seemed okay to use right now. That guy Romeo got the girl and a kiss, but Alec couldn't remember what happened at the end, not like it mattered.  

"So what is it with this guy Raven?" Alec heard a voice ask and he realised he was hearing a conversation between Raven and Falcon. He stood next to the window hidden from view wondering what they would be talking about.

"I don't know, I know its hopeless, we can never be together, because of what Manticore did to me, you know my story, I can't fall in love with anyone," Raven told Falcon collapsing onto her bed overdramatically and Falcon rolled her eyes.

"I sense a but," Falcon prompted and Raven looked over at her nodding to show Falcon was correct in her assumption.

"But there's something about him makes me want to fall in love with him, the way he looks at me with his eyes shining, the way he smiles and the left side of his mouth crinkles just a little, the way he laughs, just everything about him," Raven said dreamily and Falcon snorted at her sister, never having seen her so…out of it.

"You have issues girl, seriously," Falcon told her seriously and Raven threw a pillow at Falcon and Falcon caught it and chucked it back.

"But I know what he's like, remember I was the one who was assigned to get information on him while you and the others were looking into Max and Logan, I know everything about him, I know about Rachel, I know about all his one night stands, I know everything like that but still I…I think I may love him," Raven said slowly and Falcon was looking at her, no trace of laughter in her face as she realised what a horrid situation Raven was in.

"But you only just really met him, you love him? Are you sure?" Falcon asked willing it to be true and yet wishing it weren't so because Falcon and Raven both knew it could only end in pain. That's the way it had always been for the five of them, especially Raven.

"I think so, I've never had a feeling like this before so it must be real love, the only one I came close to feeling this way for was…Cai," Raven voice choked with emotion at the name but she laughed it off to add, "Imagine me falling in love with a regular Casanova, I must be crazy."

"My Raven your standards in men have certainly dropped," Falcon tried to get her to smile and was rewarded for her effort with a weak grin.

"Thus disproving the age old theory that quality is better that quantity," Alec inserted into the conversation popping his head through the window and both Raven and Falcon turned to the window in shock.

"You peeping tom!" Raven said grabbing a pillow to throw at him and Alec caught it and dangled it to her like bait.

"Get him Raven!" Falcon encouraged ready to see him get the beating he deserved and Alec grinned cockily knowing Rave wouldn't try and kick his ass.

"Come and get it," Alec invited her and Raven raced to the window and Alec pulled the pillow away stilling grinning. Raven looked down at him holding out her hands expecting the pillow to be given back and Alec pulled it out of her grasp again teasingly.

"I'll give it to you for a kiss," Alec tempted her and Raven looked alarmed but they were all interrupted when Max came running out her eyes wild with horror.

"White…" she gasped and Raven and Alec were on the defensive but as soon as they heard Max's next words they looked at each other horrified, "he has Logan."

"How did this happen?" Alec asked, as Max, him and Raven all walked into the control room and Max looked away from him angry with herself for not watching out for Logan. She should have been more careful but all this time on the outside had weakened her senses. 

"We ran out of wine and Logan said he was going to sneak out and get some, I didn't think there would be any problem I mean he's a norm and all, I watched him go and he wasn't more than a few hundred metres from the gate when White's men jumped him, the next thing I knew he was bundled into a car and gone, then White left this for me," Max said handing over a slip of paper with dark black writing scrawled onto the paper, and Alec scanned the address quickly before handing it to Raven who clutched it tightly pursing her lips.

"Okay Max, you have to calm down, we'll get him back," Alec said uncomfortably patting her on the back in an attempt to be considerate but not knowing how to do it. He hadn't been taught how to deal with a woman and her many floods of emotion.

"How are we gonna do that, the note says a simple swap, Logan for me, typical bad guy, I'm gonna kick the shit out of him!" Max said slamming her fist into her palm getting ready to jump on her bike and ride off to get White but Alec held her back and she struggled half heartedly not having the strength to fight him and hold onto her anger for White.

"That's the spirit Maxie but we gotta do this the right way, plan out assault perfectly," Alec tried to explain to Max to get her to think clearly and Max sighed deeply and nodded her agreement and Alec looked around but found they were one person short and he looked questioningly at Max who looked back at him blankly when he asked, "hey where's Raven?"

Raven strolled up to the address, which happened to be a run down convention centre that looked like it hadn't been used in years, and she jumped over the wire gate blocking the entrance easily. She continued walking, unafraid waiting for someone to spot her and she was well aware of the multitude of agents closing in on her.

"Stop where you are!" a voice commanded and Raven did as she was told putting her hands in the air and smiling innocently. The four agents came over to her and looked her over guns still cocked and aimed at her. Raven could have taken them down easily but this was all part of her plan, she needed to get captured so she would be able to find Logan. One of the agents looked her over appreciatively while another pulled out his walkie-talkie.

"Sir we have someone in custody, it's a girl," the agent said into the walkie-talkie and after a bit of radio static came a reply,

"Hold her until I come."

Raven stood there patiently hands behind her head while the four agents kept their weapons aimed on her. They had all been briefed on Raven and her kind and they weren't going to take any chances. White arrived on the scene and circled her, disappointed obvious on his face when he realised it wasn't Max standing before him. White walked up to inspect her and Raven recognised him as the guy she was looking for and lowered her hands spinning around in order to display her barcode for him to view.

"I have come to offer myself for Logan Cale," Raven said looking White straight in the eye and White gestured to two of his agents who came forward and grabbed her by the arms, while Raven stood there without struggling. White came forward to Raven putting his face in front of her and he smirked cruelly touching her face lightly with his fingers.

"Well unfortunately for you and him, I don't want either of you," White informed her laughing then he gestured for his agents to take her away. 

Minutes later Raven found herself chained with her arms behind the pillar at her back. She could see Logan tied to a chair a blindfold over his eyes. Raven used her enhanced vision and practically winced at the state he was in. His face looked freshly bruised and there was blood coming from all different points on his face and head.  As soon as the agents left the room Raven dared to whisper to him.

"Logan, its Raven, you okay?" she asked and she heard Logan chuckle at her question.

"I've been better," he coughed and a trickle of blood dripped out of his mouth, "so this is what it feels like to get the crap kicked out of me."

Raven giggled at him but stopped immediately when White entered the room by himself. Obviously he thought her no big threat, especially al tied up as she was. He seemed fascinated by Raven as he came to stand in front of her. White was actually impressed with this girls bravery, she had spunk but spunk alone would not save her now. She would die, just like the rest of her kind and White and his kind would make the world a better place.

"You have a lot of guts coming here by yourself; freak," White hissed at her hatefully and Raven merely smiled at him, not at all intimidated by him.  

"You got a lot of guts stealing Max's man and beating him up, when she gets here your ass is hers," Raven retorted looking pointedly at Logan and White laughed incredulously at her comment amused by her inference that he feared Max.

"452? I'm not scared of her," White said cockily and Raven narrowed her eyes into slits and glared at White knowingly.

"You should be, you know as well as I do what she will be able to do in time, your cult doesn't stand a chance, its all there in the runes," Raven taunted White knowing he would understand and White's face turned pale with anger. How had she discovered the translation of Max's runes, only he and the members of the cult knew anything about them. The mere thought of the second coming had caused an uproar with the coven and almost placed White in the line of fire. If he didn't get 452 soon they would be replacing him and there was no way White would let that happen.

"Those runes mean nothing," he said more to convince himself than anyone else in the room and Raven laughed out loud at him Calling his bluff.

"How come you don't sound so sure?" Raven teased him and White grabbed her chin roughly in his hands forcing her to look at him as he gazed into her clear brown eyes.

"I am sure," White said darkly daring her to challenge him and Raven smirked.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," she said smartly and White slapped her across the face with the back of his hand.

"You pathetic excuse…" White growled pushing his face up to hers and Raven blew air onto his face, that strange pink gas, and White couldn't help but breathe it in and he pulled away from her shaking his head as he finished his sentence, "for a human…"

White couldn't remember what he had been talking about. All of a sudden all he could see was Raven, and in particular her lips. He licked his own lustily taking a step towards her hesitantly not sure why he had the strangest urge to kiss her.

"I know your thinking about kissing me, don't you want to?" Raven asked coyly smiling and she saw Logan snap to attention from the corner of her eyes and she noticed he was struggling against his bonds. Raven prayed that if he did get free he wouldn't get any ideas about chivalry and trying to save her. Raven knew what she was doing, she didn't need Logan to interfere, he would only get hurt.

"Yes…I mean…no…I… you're nothing but a dirty transgenic," White shook his head getting all confused and Raven smiled sweetly at him enticing White forward and he stepped closer to her.

"Just once don't you want to see what its like to kiss a transgenic? We're not all as bad as you think," Raven said and White reached out to touch Raven's cheek gently and his finger ran over her lips.

"I…" White breathed deeply as his eyes remained fixed on her pink lips and Raven pouted.

"Don't you want to kiss me?" Raven whispered seductively to White and overcome by the urge to kiss her White pressed his body against hers and kissed her passionately, his tongue slipping into her mouth and Raven responded to the kiss.

Alec disposed of the last agent blocking the way to the room where a stuttering agent had told them held Raven and Logan. Alec was eager to find Raven, feeling guilty about letting her go off alone. He heard the sound of footsteps behind him but he didn't even need to turn to know it was Max. They reached the door and sharing a smirk with Max, Alec kicked open the door. The sight that greeted him infuriated him nearly to the point of madness. He saw White forcing himself upon Raven and Alec's blood began to boil.

"Get away from her," Alec yelled and White backed away from Raven looking around disorientated. He looked from Alec back to Raven then to Alec again and his look of surprised melted into a scowl directed at Alec.

"494!" he hissed and he and Alec began circling each other ready for battle while Max rushed to Logan to undo his blindfold and untie him. She did so within seconds and as Logan slumped forward and Max jumped away not wanting to touch him. Helplessly she looked at Raven who cocked her head to her own bindings.

"Alec, be careful," Raven cried out to Alec worried for him and Alec nodded to show he understood but he kept his eyes fixed firmly on White. This was one fight he wasn't going to allow White to walk away from.

White growled and made to lunge at Alec and mid air he suddenly grabbed at his throat and fell to the ground in a crumpled heap, his body twitching and his eyes rolling up into the back of his head. Max untied Raven her gaze fixed on White's body as shocked as Alec was just standing there staring down at White. Raven moved forward and grabbed Logan's arm wrapping it around her shoulders and she hefted his dead weight onto her shoulder. 

"What happened to him?" Alec asked questioningly of Raven who shrugged looking away from him and Max's searching eyes.

"We better go, he'll be dead soon," Raven said surely helping Logan limp to the door and Alec started to follow but Max didn't move staring down without sympathy at White's body.

"Let's wait and be sure," Max said wanting to know for sure that White would die and never bother her or her kind again but Raven shook her head.

"Trust me Max, he will die, let's get out of here," Raven pleaded again and Alec went to relieve her of her burden taking Logan over his shoulder.

"Fine, have it your way, but I really wanted to see this asshole cark it," Max said pouting before she gave White's body a kick and strolled to join Raven at the door. They both looked back on White's body before giving each other a high five and leaving the room.

Back at Terminal City Alec handed Logan over to Dove and Joshua who set about getting Logan to a bed where he could rest. Dove turned her gaze questioningly to Raven who shook her head silently and Dove took the order and kept her mouth shut. Max went to follow them worried for Logan when Raven's voice stopped her.

"Hey Max, I overheard White telling his men to go check on a laboratory run by the Familiars, its on Bakersfield Street, in a rundown old motel, you should check it out sometime, maybe the cure will turn up there, I mean it was the Familiars who gave Renfro the virus in the first place," Raven said shrugging and Max smiled nodding her head before turning on her heel to look after Logan. 

Joshua and Dove helped Logan to a private room and laid him down on the bed gently. Dove checked his wounds worriedly and made a mental note to bring some bandages and water while Joshua stared down at Logan wondering what he could do to help. Dove reached over to squeeze Joshua's hand before running off in the direction of the infirmary while Joshua remained in the room. Max entered slowly her eyes not moving from Logan's still form lying on the bed. Slowly she walked over to him and sat down beside his bed. Joshua paused at the door looking at the both of them.

"Logan be okay little fella?" he asked slowly and Max smiled at him affectionately.

"Yeah big fella, he'll be all good when I get through with him," she said and Joshua frowned as another thought crossed his mind having heard the rumours from Dix and Mole.

"Is White all gone now?" Joshua asked hesitantly and Max nodded.

"Yeah, now we can all sleep better at night," Max said and Joshua gave her the thumbs up before closing the door behind him.

Max pulled on her black latex gloves that she carried everywhere with her and reached out to gently touch the egg shaped bruise on Logan's forehead. Logan stirred and opened his eyes, his face melting into a smile at the sight of Max.

"You look like shit," Max blurted out and Logan raised an eyebrow at her.

"Thanks, I try," he said wryly and the two started laughing when Logan frowned and looked sad, "you know the worst thing?"

"What could be worse than you nearly getting killed?" Max asked in wonder and Logan smiled ruefully bringing a hand to rub his head experimentally.

"I didn't even get the wine," he reminded her and Max laughed again shaking her head at him getting up to wander to the cracked window and stare out into the darkness.

"You're insane, has anyone ever told you that?" Max asked him turning to stare down at him lovingly and Logan grinned up at her.

"I tell myself that every day," he assured her and Max laughed some more feeling better for it.

"So now you know what its like to get your ass kicked," Max told him thinking about all the times it had been her ass being kicked and Logan being the one who looked after her. It was role reversal time and Max was kinda glad and kinda sad at the same time. She wanted to be the one who cared for Logan when he was sick but not when he got beat up over her.

"Yeah not something I want to happen again," he said surely and Max winked down at him.

"Well you might get lucky," she said walking over to turn off the main light leaving only a cracked night light on and an orange haze fell across the room. Logan turned his head to look at Max and at the sight of the light on Max's face Logan sucked in a breath in amazement and awe. 

"Max, you look really pretty in this light," he said in wonder staring at her and Max tried to laugh off her blush at his words.

"Are you kidding me? I'm all sweaty and my hair and face is a total mess, don't tell me your still delirious," Max said coming to sit beside him and Logan held out his hand which Max took obligingly.

"No Max, you look perfect," Logan complimented her and Max had to fight back the urge to bend over and kiss him. Didn't want him dying on her, not when she had just saved him.

"You don't look too bad yourself," she said as tears of self-pity began to fill her eyes.

"I thought I looked like shit?" Logan tried to make her smile and was rewarded with a small grin as Max pulled his sheets up over his chest right up to his chin.

"Not on the inside you don't," she said resting her head on his chest not touching his skin and Logan didn't know whether this was the appropriate time to bring up the one thing that was bothering him.

"Max, I heard something strange when I was held prisoner, I think I heard Raven telling White to kiss her, I may have been a little dizzy but….Raven wouldn't have said that right?" Logan asked and Max sat up frowning.

"You might have been hallucinating, are you sure you heard it?" she asked and Logan blinked and shrugged his shoulders.

"Well everything is kinda fuzzed up, I'm not sure, should we talk to her?" he wanted to know and Max thought about it and decided against both of them asking her, might freak the girl out. 

"Let me, it's a girl thang," Max said snapping her fingers as she walked to the door but Logan soft voice stopped her,

"Max."

Max turned at the door her hands on her hips and Logan grinned.

"You're not going to say 'be careful' are you?" Max asked him thinking that would be too predictable and Logan laughed again followed by a little cough.

"Nope," he said shaking his head and his voice went all quite as his gaze became soft and warm, "come back soon."

"I will always come back to you Logan," Max promised in a choked voice and left before Logan could say anymore just as Dove entered the room with her bandages and warm water.

Raven remained silent when Max had left staring after her and, confused by her apparent lack of interest in him, Alec spun Raven around and hugged her.

"Stop looking at Max and look at me," he encouraged her and Raven looked up and grinned at him before hitting him upside the head. 

"Challenging White by yourself was the dumbest thing I've ever seen, you could have been hurt," Raven scolded Alec for his reckless nature and Alec shrugged not really caring.

"But I wasn't," Alec pointed out proudly and Raven hugged him.

"I'm so glad your okay," she said sincerely and Alec pulled away to look down at her.

"I'm glad your okay as well," he said smiling and he bent his head to kiss her and Raven moved away from him before his lips even came close to touching hers.

"Raven what gives?" Alec demanded loosing his patience. Every girl he had ever met couldn't wait to kiss him and get down his pants and Alec hadn't really minded but Raven was different, that was why he wanted to be with her in the first place but something was wrong between them and Alec didn't know what it was. He hadn't done anything that he could think of, why was Raven keeping her distance from him?

"What do you mean?" Raven asked innocently and Alec grabbed her roughly by the shoulders and shook her loosing his patience.

"What do I mean? How can we begin anything when you can't even stand to be near me?" Alec demanded not relinquishing his grip of her shoulders and Raven looked up at him desperately running a hand down the side of his face gently.

"Alec please calm down," Raven entreated him her eyes glistening with tears and Alec took hold of her hand and held it fast his firm gaze remaining fixed on her face.

"Raven, one kiss, that's all I ask," Alec told her simply and Raven stiffened pulling her hand from his grasp.

"I can't give it you," Raven said begging Alec to understand her as she took a step away from him but Alec's eyes didn't leave her.

"If you care about me even a little, prove it," Alec told her and Raven shook her head as her eyes began to fill with tears of self-pity.

"Alec I told you, I can't, you don't understand," Raven told him shaking her head and backing away slowly and Alec walked towards her.

"Then make me," he pleaded and Raven looked away from him.

"I can't," she said softly and she didn't move as she felt Alec brush past her and when she was sure he had gone Raven allowed herself to burst into tears.

Max had been standing in the hallway and heard the end snippets from the conversation. Feeling sorry for Raven Max made a move to comfort her but Raven covered her face with her hands and ran off into the night. Looking after Alec then Raven it was the latter whom Max decided to follow and see if she could talk some sense into the two mixed up would-be-lovers. 


	7. Hope Is For Losers

Chapter 7 - Hope Is For Losers

After searching the whole of Terminal City Max had a good idea of where Raven might be. Max went there a lot to think and it was the only place Max knew anyone like her would go. If Seattle had been safe Max would have gone to the Space Needle but the highest place in Terminal City where no one would think to bother someone who wanted to be alone was on the roof beside Joshua's flag that hung proudly on a pole.

"I thought you might be here, I come here a lot when I need to think," Max said coming to sit behind Raven who turned to her, a forlorn look upon her face and a blank look in her eyes.

"The first boy I ever kissed died five minutes later, his name was Cai, Cai Reynolds a boy genius who had discovered all of Manticore's dirty secrets, Manticore had assigned me to keep tabs on the guy so I did, he was eighteen and I was sixteen. They must have expected me to fall for him because when Falcon told me Manticore knew I had been fraternising with my target I expected to be taken from the mission, but I wasn't, I was kinda suspicious but I thought nothing of it. One night they sent me out dressed to perfection and they told me that my mission was to kiss Cai. I couldn't believe my luck! At that time I had no idea what my secret weapon was, I wasn't like the others, I wasn't very fighting inclined but I didn't worry about it because my head was full of romantic notions Cai would want to marry me and he would help me escape from Manticore so we could live happily ever after. I knocked on Cai's door and he opened it and his face brightened with a smile. I remember thinking how good he smelled, like he had just come out of the shower because his auburn hair was wet and curly. All I had to do was smile at him and I heard my mission director tell me to blow air in his face then tell him to kiss me. Of course I did as I was told, I blew air into his face and I noticed that the air I was blowing was a pink colour and the minute Cai breathed it in, his eyes glazed over and he smiled at me totally relaxed. I asked him to kiss me and he leaned over and we kissed. It was my first kiss, I was innocent and naïve believing this would be the best moment in my life, I hoped it would be memorable…it was but not in the way I hoped. Cai pulled away and for a moment we were looking into each other's eyes soulfully. The next thing I knew he was pawing at his throat, like something was choking him. He reached out towards me as he fell to the ground and I caught him in my arms and his body starting having spasms. After a few moments he stopped moving and his wide blue eyes were staring blankly at the sky. I knew he was dead but I didn't want to believe it. I kept begging for him to wake up but he didn't and soon the mission director was beside me dragging me to my feet. I struck out at him not wanting to leave Cai so one of the agents struck me with the butt of his gun. I remember hearing as I sunk to the ground the mission director telling Manticore that my weapon was in full working order. By the time I woke up I realised what had happened and cried for a week. I was put back in training where they finally told me what they had done to me. I could expel a gas, which would make anyone who breathed it in do anything I said kinda like the transgenics from psi-ops. It was therefore easy for me to get them to kiss me. I thought for a while it was strange that everyone I kissed died minutes later. That's when I realised, my secret weapon that Manticore had given me was the ability to kill my target by one kiss, the saliva in my mouth is laced with poisonous chemicals only I am immune to, if anyone shares anything that has come from my mouth, and especially if they kissed me they wouldn't survive another day, I was the kiss of death," Raven explained her sad predicament and Max gasped not knowing what to say.

"No wonder you didn't kiss Alec," Max said lamely not knowing what to say to make it better and Raven turned her gaze back onto Seattle before resting her head on her knees that she pulled up to her chest.

"One kiss from me would be his death," she murmured as though she didn't want to believe it and Max could sympathise with Raven's feelings. After all, one kiss from her would kill Logan; one touch would end his life. They weren't so different after all in Max's opinion.

"I see," Max, said placing an arm around Raven's shoulders and Raven threw it off her eyes blazing with fire at the pity and understanding she heard in Max's voice.

"No Max, you don't see, there is no hope for me and Alec, not like there is for you and Logan, your kiss of death can be cured, mine cannot, you have hope and I have none," Raven said and Max pursed her lips considering Raven might be right but Max didn't want her to be. She didn't want to see the one good thing that has happened to Alec give up hope on him and herself. He didn't deserve that anymore than Raven did. 

"Raven, there is always hope," Max said and Raven gave a harsh laugh.

"Hope is for losers, its time I left this place for somewhere new, I've been in Seattle way too long," Raven decided and Max could remember a time when she had been a bitter young girl angry at the world, angry at Manticore for making her what she was. Raven sounded just like Max had back then, before meeting Logan and she was acting like Max too; ready to bail at the first sign of trouble. Well Max wasn't going to let that happen if she could help it.

"Raven no," Max said trying to dissuade her but Raven shook her head adamantly.

"I have already made up my mind, I leave tonight," Raven said standing up and Max stood up as well getting angry at Raven for her stubborn ways.

"So when the going gets tough you pick up and leave? Is that it?" Max said grabbing Raven by the arm and turning Raven to face her and Raven looked at her coldly.

"This is my only option, I can't keep hurting Alec," Raven told her and Max didn't let her arms go and her grip tightened urgently.

"Are you going to tell Alec?" Max asked and Raven wrenched her arm from Max's grasp her expression icy, her eyes unfeeling.

"No," she said turning away and Max didn't want it to end like this, not like this.

"Raven you can't leave, not now when he is so confused, you have to tell him," Max said and Raven turned around and her tone was cold and uncaring.

"I don't have to do anything," was her reply and Max shook her head at Raven knowing exactly what Raven was doing.

"Raven I tried the uncaring act, one day it will fail you," Max assured her and Raven smirked at her.

"But not today," Raven said and Max decided to give one more go at getting Raven to change her mind. Max knew that she couldn't make Raven do what she wanted, and there was no way Max was going to betray her trust but for Alec Max wished Raven to stay and try to work things out.

"Raven you have to tell him," Max said but Raven was already disappearing into the darkness and shaking her head Max followed her.

"I don't get it Logan, am I so repulsive?" Alec burst into Logan's room where he was dozing peacefully and he woke up with a start. Alec didn't even seem to care he had woken Logan up as he started pacing the floor. Dove had cleaned Logan up; slightly. His face was a mass of bruises and there were lumps and bumps all over his head. Even a cut lip and a few scratches here and there. 

"We must be talking about Raven," Logan sighed sitting up painfully getting ready to advise the desperate X5. It was the least he could do really since Alec came with Max to rescue him and Raven.

"I overhear her telling Falcon that she loves me, that she loves everything about me yet she can't even bring herself to kiss me, have I done something wrong? Am I losing my touch?" Alec asked seriously and Logan was tempted to laugh but at the lost look on Alec's face he held back his laughter and tried to sympathise with the unlucky young man.

"There must be an explanation," Logan tried to reassure Alec frowning as he tried to think of a believable reason. In reality Logan couldn't really think of any reason why any woman wouldn't want to kiss Alec. Any other girl Logan had seen with Alec didn't seem to mind pleasing him at all. In fact only Max and Original Cindy seemed to be immune to his charms of persuasion but even Original Cindy had once admitted to Max that Alec sure was pretty.

"Yeah like I repulse her, she'd rather kiss White and that skinny Italian guy than me," Alec said frustrated with himself, with Raven, with everyone in the entire world. He was starting to think maybe his mojo wasn't working anymore.

"Yeah but both died a few minutes after being kissed by her," Logan chuckled more to himself than to Alec seeing the irony of the situation and Alec stared at Logan blinking a few times as things started falling into place.

"What did you say Logan?" Alec asked needing that sentence to be repeated and Logan thought it a strange request but decided to oblige him anyway.

"That they both died after…kissing…her…my God, that's her special ability, no wonder she didn't kiss you," Logan said understanding what Alec was going on about and he fell back onto the pillows in shock and amazement that Manticore had managed to create something like that, a weapon to kill as it seduces.  

"And I've driven her away, the one person who truly loved me, she was only trying to protect me," Alec said slowly his voice full of remorse and Max walked into the room.

"It's not too late, she's leaving now," Max said and Alec's eyes widened before he rushed passed her to the gates of Terminal City. Max walked to sit beside Logan and took his waiting hand in her gloved one.

"I hope those two kids work it out," Logan said wistfully looking at Max as he said it and Max heard the meaning behind the words and she rested her head on his chest again.

"Yeah me too," she said longingly and they both sat there in silence listening to the sound of each other's heart beating. Maybe they weren't so different after all.

In a run down old car borrowed for a long trip to Canada Raven sat in the passenger side looking out of the window dully noticing with little enthusiasm that it was snowing lightly. Falcon sat at the wheel trying not to look pityingly at Raven while the twins Talon and Hawk sat in the back waving goodbye through the back window to Dove. Dove was standing with Joshua, his arms wrapped around her and she was waving goodbye. She had decided to stay, see this thing through with Joshua and Raven admired her for it. At Raven's signal Falcon started the car and it began rolling away. Alec arrived in time to see the car pull away and he ran up to Raven's window and starting rapping on it. Raven turned with shock and her tearful face broke into a smile at the sight of him.

"Raven I'm sorry," Alec was yelling and Raven smiled at him hating fate and what Manticore had made her.

"I know, smile for me Alec, remember me," Raven called back to him and Alec smiled just as she asked and wondered in his head how he would ever forget Raven. She had opened his eyes to the well of emotions in his chest that he had never before used. 

Raven brushed away the tear that was rolling down her cheek and pressed her fingers firmly to her lips then pressed them against the window as she drove away and out of Alec's life probably forever. Alec gave up running knowing he couldn't make her stay because her mind was made up that this was the best way to handle the situation he raised his fingers to his lips and blew her a kiss goodbye, that one air kiss, the first and last kiss the lovers ever shared.

A.N. Sad? Da, I know, but I am thinking of writing a sequel where everything will be better. Raven will return, cure for Max's virus to be found, you know all that sort of jazz but I can't be bothered writing it yet. But if it helps just keep thinking, it is not the end. 


End file.
